Gold rush in Paris: Léon Marchand’s Olympic glory

When the first decathletes lined up for the 400 m race at the Paris Olympics, the stadium announcer asked the audience for silence. Instead of complying, the crowd at Stade de France grew louder. It couldn’t calm down because Léon Marchand was swimming like a madman just five kilometers away. Again!

The 22-year-old Frenchman is one of the brightest stars of the Paris Olympics. He became only the fourth swimmer to win at least four gold medals in a single Games. In front of his home crowd, he triumphed in the 200-meter breaststroke, butterfly, and individual medley, with his first victory in the 400-meter individual medley.

Although Marchand’s parents, Xavier and Céline, are former Olympic swimmers, their son’s path to the top of the sport was not all plain sailing. His parents tried to extinguish his passion for swimming, and Léon initially took up judo.

But it wasn’t quite the same. Marchand began swimming training at seven but took a break for a year or two. The skinny boy found the pool so cold that he couldn’t enjoy being there.

When he returned, Marchand didn’t put pressure on himself to become a top athlete; he simply engaged in a sport that brought him joy. His swim club president, Vincent Gardeau, recalled that today’s hero was never at the top of France as a junior. He was very good, but not the best.

Quick response from Phelps’ coach

Hailing from Toulouse, a rugby and football city, Marchand started achieving significant results in 2019. That year, he won his first French championship title and earned two bronze medals at the European Junior Championships and one at the World Junior Championships.

The great attention following the medals and the global COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges for Marchand. He sought help from a sports psychologist, who helped him clear his mind and focus on one thing: being as good as possible in the pool. Nothing else mattered.

Five years ago, when he achieved his first major victory and medals, a thought entered his mind. An idea that both his mother and father had once realized.

Marchand wanted to attend college in the United States. Education has always been important to him, and even in Toulouse, he focused on studying computer science alongside his sports career. Across the pond, he got a scholarship covering all expenses. Or, as he said himself: “I can be there for four years for free.”

Marchand added that he wanted to explore a different world, meet new people, improve his English, and become a more open person.

Choosing a university took work, as he was in high demand from colleges. Marchand’s first choice was the University of California, but they didn’t offer the talented athlete a full scholarship, which was essential for him.

So, he had to look elsewhere.

Marchand sat down at his computer and started writing emails. Among others, he contacted Arizona State University. The Frenchman thought an assistant would respond to his email, but 15 minutes later, he received a reply from Bob Bowman.

For those unfamiliar with the American swimming coach, you might have heard of his most famous pupil: Michael Phelps, a 27-time world champion and 23-time Olympic champion, who can arguably be called the greatest swimmer of all time.

Bowman had yet to hear of Marchand. He looked at the young man’s results and responded 15 minutes after the initial email was sent, expressing great interest in the European. They had multiple conversations, and swimmers already studying at Arizona State contacted Marchand, who liked the atmosphere, to help recruit him.

Marchand spoke to Olympic champions Yannick Agnel and Clément Lefert to make the decision easier. The former had trained under Bowman, and the latter had also attended an American university. Agnel only had good things to say about Bowman.

Thus, Marchand moved to Arizona State. His college career has been highly successful, setting multiple NCAA records and earning numerous awards. Most importantly, he has become the most versatile top swimmer of the present time.

Doesn’t like comparisons to Phelps

Marchand, who started attending Arizona State in August 2021, said before flying to the US that his biggest short-term goal was the Paris Olympics. As mentioned at the beginning of the story, the Games were extremely successful for him. In addition to his four gold medals, he won a bronze in the 4 x 100 m medley relay.

He became the first French male swimmer to win an Olympic medal since the 2012 London Games. Only one man has won more individual golds at a single Olympics: Phelps, who claimed five golds in Beijing in 2008.

So it’s no wonder the Frenchman is compared to the legendary American. Yes, their careers have many similarities, but Marchand still doesn’t like these comparisons.

But when you’re that good, such analogies are inevitable. And it wouldn’t be a shock if Marchand shines again at the Los Angeles Olympics in four years and wins five individual golds.

Just like Phelps did in Beijing.